Today's operating systems and applications come packaged with numerous functions and features. Most operating systems and applications use a graphical user interface (“GUI”) in some shape or form, as a GUI simplifies a user's interaction with the computer.
Organization and presentation are the key elements in designing a successful GUI because users depend on the visual presentation of the GUI to guide them through the process. This is especially true today because computer screens are cluttered with numerous windows and icons. Given that the computer screen can display many active windows, it may be hard for users to navigate through all the options that are presented to them.
Therefore, there is a need for a method that organizes features that are embedded within other features. Specifically, there is a need for a method for creating hierarchical structures. Moreover, there is a need for a method that organizes embedded levels in such a way that users can easily see the embedded levels. More generally, there is a need for a method that visually illustrates different types of hierarchy between items (e.g., objects, windows, etc.) in a GUI.